Those meddling kids
by VerMa
Summary: AU. One winter night, a young married couple dies in a car accident. How will it affect their little daughter's future? And what does it have to do with Scooby's gang? Copyright: Hanna-Barbera. Characters' tags: Fred and Velma because the gang started with the two of them. Pairings: Fred/Daphne and Shaggy/Velma. Cover by me. COMPLETE! :D
1. Prologue

**Hi there!**

**This is my second attempt to write a multi-chapter story (after "Mystery Inc. gets a clue"). I'll try to add new chapters as soon as I write them - or rather, put together the parts that I already have.**

**Enjoy and see you!**

**VerMa.**

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It was December 19, 10:30 PM. That night, a terrible snowstorm raged over Coolsville, a little town in Ohio. If you looked out through a window, you couldn't see anything but white snowflakes which flew almost horizontally due to strong wind, howling in chimneys and fiercely hitting window glasses.

That very night, a young, dark-haired, bespectacled woman paced back and forth in her living room, waiting for the return of her twin sister and brother-in-law. Four hours earlier, they'd left to get Christmas gifts for their three-years-old daughter. Now, the little girl, covered with a blanket, slept peacefully on a couch and her parents still hadn't come back. That really worried the young woman, as they never parted with their only child for longer than they really had to.

Suddenly, car lights flashed outside and, a moment later, there was a knock on the door. The woman, afraid that the noise could wake her little niece, opened the door as quickly as she could. She expected that her sister and brother-in-law, grinning and all covered in snow, would stand on the other side of the doorstep. However, instead of them, she saw a tall, broad-shouldered young man in a uniform. His face showed he didn't have good news.

"Miss Jane Walton?" the stranger asked.

"Yes" the woman replied, letting him into the hall. "What's the matter?" she asked with anxiety.

"I'm Constable Franklin Sanders" the young man showed his ID. "Your sister and brother-in-law had an accident. Their car skidded and fell from a cliff. They both died on the spot."

"God..." Jane whispered, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Walton" Constable Sanders said and left the house.

The woman went back to the living room and sat on the floor, near the couch on which her little niece, unaware she'd just become an orphan, slept.

"It's unfair" she whispered rebelliously, feeling huge tears flow down her face. "Nattie and Tom shouldn't have died... they were married for only five years... they dreamed of having a second child... they had the whole life before them..."

"Auntie, whewe mommy and daddy awe?" a tiny voice spoke suddenly. The little orphan had woken up and was looking at her aunt with her dad's dark eyes. (_Toddler talk translation with correct grammar: Auntie, where are mommy and daddy?_)

"They... they went to heaven, honey" Jane said, taking the little girl in her arms.

"When they will be back?"

"They will never be back, darling. They are... too far away to come back."

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**PS - Of course, I ask you for reviews. If you've guessed what it may possibly have to do with the characters from the Scooby world, it's good. If you haven't, don't worry because it will be explained later in this story. But under any circumstances don't write about it in reviews, okay?**

**See you in chapter two (oops, I've rhymed it)!**

**VM.**


	2. Daphne

**Hello!**

**I have the honor to present you the second chapter of my story. And I would like to warn you right now that Daphne, unfortunately, is not very nice at the beginning. But do not worry, I did not ruin her personality. I just have planned a change of heart for her.**

**Alright. Enough of talking about the content. This chapter is much longer than the previous one but do not skip too much, okay? :]**

**Enjoy!**

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Ten-years-old Daphne cautiously looked around. The new school was, in fact, similar to the old one. Of course, the kids' faces were different but categories remained the same. Bewildered first graders, handsome sporty guys, beautiful cheerleaders, brutal bullies, nerds with glasses and regular losers. In general, not counting the sporty guys and the cheerleaders, none of these groups had friendly relationships with any other. This time, however, Daphne saw an exception. A quite handsome, blond-haired boy was talking to a dark-haired, bespectacled girl, much shorter than him and appearing to be a nerd, who stared at him without a word. Daphne was convinced that the boy was a sporty guy until a red-haired bully threw him into the nearest trashcan. Not being able to understand it, she stopped the first girl who was passing by.

"Why did he do it?" she asked, pointing to the red-headed boy.

"Don't you know that Red always throws Fred into a trashcan?" the other girl was surprised.

"I'm new here" Daphne explained. "My name's Daphne Blake" she added, holding out her hand.

"And mine is Kate Brown" the other girl introduced herself, shaking Daphne's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Why Red treats Fred so bad?" Daphne asked. (_A/N: Try to write this question without rhyming. I couldn't._)

"Devil knows" Kate shrugged. "Probably because Red is strong and Fred is a weirdo. And he hangs out with Velma who is even weirder than him."

"What do you mean?"

"She never talks to anyone except for Fred and the teachers, her glasses look like bottle bottoms and she wears badly matched clothes."

"Indeed" said Daphne, having looked over little Velma, unaware of anything and trying to pull Fred out of the trashcan. "Ewwwwww..." she shuddered.

That day, Daphne joined Kate and her five friends. She noticed almost immediately that actually, the only purpose of this group's existence was teasing kids who had worse clothes – particularly Velma. Frankly, Daphne had had slight remorse because of this but managed to convince herself that nobody cared about this little bespectacled girl anyway – maybe except for Fred, the school weirdo, but he didn't count. Every day, Daphne mocked Velma more and more boldly and became less and less touched by her tears.

x

About a month went by. One day, Kate and her friends as usual found Velma to tease her a bit.

"Hey, little girl, where are all those sweaters from?" Kate asked. "Did you rob a warehouse or what?"

"And those specs really are made of bottle bottoms or do they just look like that?" Tess giggled, taking the glasses off of Velma's nose. Other girls, including Daphne, laughed.

"Freddy!" the little Velma burst into tears. Soon, the breathless Fred made his way to her.

"Aren't you ashamed?" he shouted, taking Velma's glasses from Tess and with his angry gaze scanning the faces of the girls, surrounding Velma who had immediately clung to his side for dear life and buried her face in his sweater. "You know very well she's afraid of you! Why are you bullying her?"

"Why do you care?" Daphne asked. "Is she your girlfriend or what?"

"Why do you care?" Fred echoed. "Right after you'd come to this school, you started to bully Velma, even though she hadn't done anything to you. I thought you were different but you disappointed me very much, Daphne Blake. Come on, Velma" with this, the boy put his arm around the little girl's shoulders and led her away from between her bullies.

"Now what?" Daphne asked after a pause.

"Hey, look" Tess pointed to a small, black-haired boy "it's that little, stuttering fool, Louis!"

All the six of the girls ran off to tease Louis a bit. No, not seven. Six. Daphne had stayed behind, wondering why such a good-looking (and probably nice) boy, Fred Jones, was friends with the little freak, Velma Dinkley. After all, if it wasn't for her, he would undoubtedly be very popular at school, even with his obsession with aliens and other nonexistent creatures. On the other hand, whenever he stood in defense of Velma, it was obvious that he did it because he cared about her, not because someone had told him to. Certainly something was going on between them. Maybe it wasn't love (at the age of ten, Daphne was totally convinced love was something destined for a beautiful princess and a handsome prince at the end of a tale – and the two of them weren't a princess and a prince) but they sure liked each other very much. But why? Being born as a curious person, Daphne decided to discover the secret of Fred and Velma's relationship.

Since then, she closely watched both of them, either when they were together or when they went their separate ways. She quickly noticed a few details which could have seemed insignificant if she hadn't been paying attention. First – whenever Fred landed in the trashcan, Velma tried to help him out and did what she could do to comfort him when he once had begun to cry because of another humiliation. Second – each time a kid began to boast of their family in her presence, Velma ran away in tears and hid in the washroom for the rest of the break. Third – she was taken from school either by Fred's parents, or by a dark-haired, bespectacled woman, whom she called "Auntie". Fourth – there were a few times when, if Fred hadn't offered her his sandwiches or sweets during the big break, the little Velma simply wouldn't have had anything to eat. The same thing happened about a week before Thanksgiving. Daphne, as usual, had sat down in a spot from where she could easily watch Fred and Velma, without arousing anyone's suspicions.

"I have chocolate muffins" said Fred, gently pushing a blue cookie box towards Velma. "Help yourself to them."

"Can I?" the girl asked to be sure.

"Sure. You can eat them all, if you want to. My mom baked them especially for you" the boy replied, sinking his teeth in a sandwich. "She says you're too skinny" he added, rolling his eyes. Sometimes, he had a feeling his mom was very strange.

"Jinkies, tell her they're delicious" Velma asked him between one muffin and another.

"Why don't you do it yourself? My parents want to invite you and your aunt for the Thanksgiving Day. Will you come?"

"Jones fell in love with Dinkley!" Red screamed suddenly as he was just passing by the table they were sitting at. "Look at those two lovebirds, look at those two lovebirds, he is a ninny and she is a nerd!" he sang teasingly. (_A/N: the melody was the one from the intro of "Pinky and the Brain" cartoon_)

"Get lost, Red" Fred growled. "It's not your business."

x

The longer Daphne watched Velma, the surer she was that there was a difference between this little girl and the other kids even if she didn't know what difference it was. About a week before Christmas, she decided to inquire Fred thoroughly, hoping that the information gotten from him would help her find out the cause of Velma's oddity. Since they both were in the same grade, she simply caught up with him on their way to the Math class.

"Fred" she asked "how long have you been friends with Velma?"

"Since she started the first grade. Why?"

"What her parents are like?" Daphne decided to start with one of the most trivial questions.

To her surprise, Fred sadly looked into her eyes.

"Velma doesn't have parents" he said seriously. "They died in a car accident when she was three-years-old. Since then, it's her aunt who raises her. She's nice and really loves Velma but an aunt is not the same as a mom..."

"Oh, jeepers...!" Daphne covered her mouth with her hands. Suddenly, it dawned on her how cruel she'd been for the little Velma who had a tough life even without her teasing. "I... I... I haven't known..."

"Well, now you do. And I hope that you won't bully her anymore."

"I won't" Daphne promised. "And I'll try to make it up to her for all the teasing... somehow."

x

Jane Walton would give a lot to be able to get rid of nightmares. Almost every night, she dreamed about the terrible moment when she'd learned about the death of Nathalie and Thomas. Usually, she would wake up with a rapid heartbeat and her cheeks wet with tears. This night, however, like on every anniversary, the nightmare continued. And so, dressed in black, she was once again in the cemetery chapel in the middle of which, in two wooden coffins, bodies of her sister and brother-in-law had lay. In her arms, she'd held the three-years-old Velma, who had thought her parents would have gotten up and begun to play with her any moment. Then, the picture changed and Jane saw herself and her brother, Dave, weeping next to the tomb, in which gravediggers had placed the coffin with Nathalie's body. Once it had been all over, Velma, too young to understand what had happened, had asked to take her mommy and daddy out because she'd wanted to play with them.

At this point, Jane woke up. Almost immediately, she heard crying and screaming from the nine-years-old Velma's room:

"Mommy! Daddy! Auntie!"

The woman, feeling her heart breaking, got up and went to her niece's bedroom.

"What happened, darling?" she asked, sitting down on the bed and turning on the bedside lamp. "Have you had a bad dream?"

The girl nodded.

"I've dreamed about how mom and dad had died..." she said, swallowing her tears. "First, they were happy and laughed and then, the car began to skid, and mom was afraid, and dad couldn't stop the car, and they both died... And then, you also died and I had no one left..."

"Oh, you poor little baby..." Jane said compassionately. Then, she took Velma to her own bed, wrapped her in the covers and hugged her tightly to her chest. "No wonder you're trembling so much. Don't cry anymore. You'll stay here with me until the morning. Close your eyes and sleep."

"I love you, Auntie, you know it?" Velma murmured, listening to her aunt's rhythmic, comforting heartbeat.

"I know, dear. I love you, too" Miss Walton whispered, stroking the girl's hair and kissing her cheek. "Sleep well."

x

During the Christmas break, Daphne almost all the time thought about what Fred had told her about Velma. She couldn't forgive herself that only because of her look, she'd been thinking of her as of somebody worse. At some point, she began to wonder how many more people she could have hurt like this. She'd written down about thirty names before she realized that such list would have to be at least one meter long. When she understood this, it frightened her. She felt... no, she KNEW it couldn't be like that anymore. She had to change it. She wanted to change it. And she was sure she would change it.

She came back to school on January 5, because her mom had kept her in the house for another three days because of a cold. That day, during the big break, Kate and her friends were bullying Velma again.

"Where do you buy these weird clothes, Dinkley?" Kate nearly shrieked with laughter. "Sweaters like this one had been out-of-date when your mother was your age!"

Velma burst out crying and the girls, accompanying Kate, started laughing. Except for one.

"Leave her alone, Kate" said Daphne.

"Why? It's only Velma. The school's biggest freak."

"No matter who she is, you shouldn't laugh at her" Daphne insisted. "It's not cool to tease someone who is weaker than you and can't defend herself. Apologize to her."

"Okay, I'm sorry" said Kate. "But you, Daphne, also are a weirdo" she added, shrugging, and walked away with the rest of the girls.

Daphne embraced the weeping Velma and started gently stroking her short, dark hair.

"Don't cry" she told her softly. "Now, hush... They're gone already..."

Velma, however, pushed her away.

"Go away" she said, choking on her tears and sniffling. "You also have been rude to me."

"I know" Daphne admitted. "I'm sorry. It will be different from now. I'll help Fred to defend you. And I'll never laugh at you again. I promise."

"Velma!" Fred called out, running up to Velma and hugging her. "There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! Was Kate bullying you again?"

"Yes" Velma admitted "but she defended me" she added, pointing to Daphne.

"Thanks a lot, Daphne" Fred grinned. "Now I know you were saying the truth."

"The Blakes don't break their word" Daphne smiled back.

Since that day, everything changed for the better. Velma and Daphne became friends. Daphne and Fred earned general sympathy and respect in school by defending the kids who were bullied by Kate and her gang. Red Herring was finally caught red-handed (_A/N: how ironic... :] _) while picking on Fred and given a severe punishment. Velma, who had stopped being afraid of going to school, started doing much better with her education and at the end of the school year, she was told she'd been allowed to skip a grade which meant she'd have classes with Fred and Daphne. They all thought things couldn't be any better but four years later, another revolution would occur in their lives...

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**To those interested: Shaggy and Scooby will appear in the next chapter. Do not miss it!**

**Asking kindly for reviews, I send you my warmest greetings.**

**Yours truly,**

**VerMa.**

**PS - Okay, I was kidding with that formal tone. But I wasn't kidding about the reviews. Each one means a lot to me.**

**VM.**


	3. Shaggy and Scooby

**Hello!**

**Welcome to the third chapter. Just like I promised, Shaggy and Scooby are introduced in it. Contrary to what was suggested by ho9, Shaggy isn't bullied here (because you can't use the same theme all the time). Rather, I tried to explain why, if Shaggy is the oldest of the gang, in the series "A Pup named Scooby Doo", somehow the four of them are in the same grade...**

**This chapter is dedicated to my dear reviewers: loonytunecrazy, who left the first review for this story, and ho9, whose long and kind review gave me a good mood for the rest of the day.**

**To ho9: you said you could imagine Shaggy being bullied. But it's also known he's your favorite. So what do you say if he gets an opportunity to be... brave? ;)**

**VerMa**

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It was four years since Daphne had become friends with Velma and Fred. This year, the three of them went to the first grade in high school. They didn't meet Red Herring in their new school anymore. That was good because a couple of months ago, Fred had focused his mind on catching him red-handed and, after many setbacks, he eventually got obsessed with it. The girls hoped secretly that new surroundings would cure him of this mania but didn't say this when he was around to not annoy him. And indeed – Fred quickly forgot about his old enemy thanks to baseball trainings, for which he'd signed up the second day of school.

One day in early October, a tall, slim, unshaven boy with light brown messy hair walked up to Velma.

"Like, are you... ummm... are you Velma Dinkley?" he asked, nervously crumpling a hem of his green shirt.

"Yes, it's me" the girl answered. "What's the matter?"

"Like, my name's Norville Rogers" the boy introduced himself "b-but, like, call me Shaggy" he added quickly. "We're, like, in the same class, and, like, I know you're, like, the best and, like, I wanted to..."

"What do you want from her?" Daphne stood next to Velma and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Right. Why are you bothering her?" Fred repeated Daphne's gesture.

"Guys, stop it" Velma freed herself from her friends' grasp. "You're overprotective. What did you want to ask me about, Norville... I mean, Shaggy?"

"Could you, like, tutor me in biology?"

"In biology?" Fred echoed suspiciously.

"Yes" Shaggy replied. "Like, last time, I didn't make it to the, like, next grade because of it and, like, my parents don't want it to, like, happen again. Like, will you help me, Velma?"

"Sure" she smiled. "Come to the library today after classes."

"Okay. It's, like, an appointment. See you" after that, Shaggy headed towards the canteen.

"I don't like him" Fred muttered. "He's... kind of strange."

"Look who's speaking" Velma snorted. "The three of us aren't better. Besides, Shaggy seems to be cool."

"But just in case, we better have an eye on him" Fred whispered to Daphne.

"Okay" she whispered. "I'll be watching him today in the library."

Fred, however, decided that you can never be too careful and after classes, he hid between lockers, standing near the entrance to the library. Having seen a tall, slim boy, walking towards him, he came out of his hiding spot.

"Listen, Rogers" he hissed, grabbing the other boy's green shirt "I'll say it straight: I don't trust you."

"Should I, like, care about it?" Shaggy asked, freeing himself from Fred's grasp and taking a step back.

"That would be best" Fred shrugged. "You see, Velma is someone very close to me. If you hurt her..."

"Like, don't worry, Jones" Shaggy interrupted him, looking him straight in the eye. "I won't even lay a finger on your girlfriend."

"Velma isn't my girlfriend" Fred drawled out.

"Then, like, why are you meddling?"

"I look after her because she's naïve like a five-years-old child. And remember, if anything happens to her, I'll find you and beat you to a pulp."

"Okay, okay" Shaggy said impatiently, pushed Fred aside and entered the library.

"I wasn't kidding" Fred hissed, even though Shaggy couldn't hear him anymore. Then, he turned around and went home.

The next day, Daphne told him that in the library, Shaggy had listened carefully to what Velma had explained to him, had been looking mainly in the books (sometimes at his own hands) and in general, he'd been very nice but very nervous. The last words alerted Fred. Daphne's explanations that Shaggy was probably just shy didn't help. Since that time, Fred watched Shaggy carefully, suspecting him of evil intentions towards Velma.

x

It was a cold, November afternoon, about 5 PM. It was slowly getting dark and, frankly, Shaggy was starting to get scared. Even the fact that next to him walked his pet, a big, strong Great Dane, named Scooby, wasn't a great comfort for him. Scooby was as easily scared as his master, and maybe even more.

Suddenly, there was a scream full of terror:

"Let go of me! Help!"

"Like, seems someone is in trouble, buddy" Shaggy told his dog, while shaking with fear. "What do you think we should do?"

"Help! Please!" the cry was becoming more and more desperate.

"Zoinks! Scooby, it's... it's a girl's voice!" Shaggy took off running. "Quick, we must save the lady!"

Soon, they saw a thug, pulling a girl into a dark alley. Shaggy didn't waste time for thinking. He punched the man in the nose, put the girl over his shoulder and started running for dear life.

"Put me down!" she shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Like, if I'm not mistaken, I'm saving your life, Velma!" Shaggy, who had recognized her by her voice, replied, still running.

"Shaggy?"

"Yeah, it's me! Is he, like, chasing us?"

"Reah!" a voice spoke.

"Who said it?" Velma asked.

"My dog, Scooby!" Shaggy explained. "Like, don't ask me how he does it because, like, I don't know it myself!"

"Raggy, read rend!" Scooby called out suddenly. (_Tr. Shaggy, dead end!_)

"Damn it!" Shaggy hissed, looking back. The bandit, who had attacked Velma, had just stood at the lane's other end, blocking their only way of escape.

"What are we going to do now?" Velma, still slung over Shaggy's shoulder, asked with fear.

The boy put her down on the ground and took a leash out of his trousers' pocket.

"Take it" he said, handing one end to the girl and hooking the other one to Scooby's collar. Then, he crouched next to the dog. "Listen, Scooby. I'll stop this thug and you take Velma to our house."

"No way" Velma frowned. "I'm not going to leave you here at the fate's mercy."

"Re reither" Scooby spoke.

The man was already perilously close to the boy, the girl and the dog.

"Enough of talking" said Shaggy. "Velma, follow Scooby and don't worry about me. I can take care of myself but if anything happens to you, Fred will kill me."

Scooby and Velma fled. The bandit tried to grab the girl but missed because Shaggy had jumped on him and punched him in the jaw. The man grabbed him by his collar and lifted him like a kitten, after which he pulled a knife out of his pocket. Shaggy with one precise kick knocked the knife out of the man's hand, then he pulled himself up on his arm and bit his finger. The thug howled in pain and dropped the boy who immediately began to run off. But, having looked back after a moment, Shaggy noticed that the villain hadn't given up. He doubted that Scooby and Velma had been able to run far away in just a few seconds, so he decided that first, he would run through the neighboring streets a bit to give them time to reach a safe place. Besides, he also hoped secretly he would manage to lose the bandit that way.

Meanwhile, Velma and Scooby ran as fast as they could. Suddenly, Velma saw two teenagers, a boy and a girl, before her.

"Scooby, watch out!" she screamed but it was already too late to avoid a collision.

"Velma!" the boy exclaimed in surprise, stopping her from falling to the ground.

"What are you doing here? And whose is this dog?" the girl asked.

Only then, Velma realized whom she'd bumped into.

"Fred! Daphne! Help! I was going home from the cemetery... and a bandit attacked me... and Shaggy saved me..." she panted. "He told me to run away... and I don't know if something bad didn't happen to him..."

"Take her to my house, Daph" Fred commanded. "Where did you see Shaggy for the last time, Velma?"

"Over there" Velma pointed back over her shoulder. "Scooby will lead you" she added, handing the leash to the boy.

x

Fred and Scooby had been roaming narrow, poorly lit streets for a few minutes now, looking for Shaggy. Unfortunately, they had no luck so far.

"Raggy!" Scooby called out at some point. Fred thought it was at least weird but didn't make any comment.

"Shaggy, where are you?" he cried out.

"Right here!" Shaggy yelled, speeding towards him from the opposite direction. "Like, a dude with a knife is chasing me! Run!"

Scooby and Fred didn't need to have it said twice.

"Quick, guys, this way!" Fred pulled Shaggy and Scooby's collars. "We'll hide in my house!"

The two boys and the dog ran inside and immediately blocked the door with a chest of drawers. Meanwhile, Daphne, Velma and Fred's mom peered out of the kitchen.

"Shaggy!" Velma squealed happily, hugging the taller boy. "It's so good to see you're okay!"

"Fred, dear, what's going on?" Mrs. Jones asked. "You and your friend look like you've just seen a ghost."

"It's worse than a ghost, madam" said Shaggy. "A thug with a knife is chasing us."

As if to confirm his words, after a while, there was pounding on the door and loud cursing. Fred's mom immediately called the police. Soon, two police cars stopped in front of the house. The policemen quickly overpowered and handcuffed the bandit and took him into custody right away. Then, the one who had stayed, gently knocked on the door. Fred and Shaggy moved away the chest of drawers and Mrs. Jones opened the door.

"Good afternoon, I'm Sergeant Samuel Rogers" the policeman introduced himself. "I would like everyone to testify in order to..."

"Dad!" Shaggy yelled happily, embracing the man a bit above his waist.

"Norville?" Sergeant Rogers was baffled. "Why the sudden outburst of warm filial affection? And what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Simply put, he saved my life" Velma said shyly.

Half an hour later, after the testimony had been collected, Mr. Rogers offered to drive Daphne and Velma home. When Daphne had gotten out, Shaggy finally managed to get the courage to ask Velma:

"What were you, like, doing alone in that creepy place, anyway?"

"I was going home from the cemetery" was the answer. "Auntie Jane couldn't have gone with me because she'd caught the flu and today is the birthday of my dad..."

"So your dad had died?"

"Actually, both he and my mom had died in an accident ten years ago."

"I remember this" said Mr. Rogers, sitting behind the wheel. "All the newspapers then had written about terrible condition of the road they had been driving and about the lack of railings at the edge of the cliff. Later, the city council had the road repaired and secured but, of course, it couldn't bring your parents back to life."

Then, there was silence. After a while, Shaggy told Velma:

"In Fred's house, I noticed you have a nice orange sweater. But isn't it a little too big for you?"

"Maybe a little bit" Velma admitted "but I really like it. It once had belonged to my mom."

"Well, there we are" Mr. Rogers announced. "Come, Velma, I'll walk you home."

"Just don't knock or ring the doorbell. There's no point in waking Auntie Jane if she's asleep. I have my own keys" the girl told him, opening the door. "And... and please tell Shaggy he's a hero. Good night."

x

Two days later, on Monday, Shaggy caught up with Fred after school.

"I still haven't thanked you for, like, having saved my life" he said, smiling shyly.

"And I haven't thanked you for having protected Velma from this criminal" Fred smiled back and patted Shaggy's shoulder. "Forgive me that in the beginning, I'd been so rude and suspicious towards you. I'd been afraid you'd wanted to hurt her. I'm really glad I was wrong. From now on, we all will hang out together, do you want it?"

"Like, sure I do."

"Ree, roo!" said Scooby, who as usual, had come for his best friend and now trotted by his side.

"So welcome to the gang, guys" Fred put his one hand on Shaggy's shoulder and the other one on Scooby's head. "Shaggy...?"

"Yeah?"

"Actually, why do you say 'like' so often?"

"It comes useful when I can't find a word or when I'm nervous. But, like, I've forgotten to, like, warn you that, like, I'm kind of not all that normal perhaps."

"And it means...?"

"Well, you know... I don't enjoy, like, fighting, instead of baseball, I'm training, like, gymnastics, sprint and marathon running, I eat strange things, I have a talking dog, and, like, I understand what he's, like, saying to me. Like, I hope it won't bother you too much..."

"Don't worry" Fred chuckled. "Some people think of us as of freaks as well. You're a lot like us."

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**PS - (Do I really have to ask for reviews at the end of each chapter ...? Oh, well, in the worst case, I'll make a fool of myself...) Please, leave some reviews (but not meaningless sequences of letters)!**

**VM.**


	4. Meddling kids and a riddle

**Hello,**

**Sorry that you had to wait so long but, unfortunately, for some time I had no inspiration. I hope you aren't frightened by this chapter's length - and if you are, sorry. Many things happen in here... and, well, there are also two letters. But I promise you that the last TWO chapters (good news to you, ho9) will be shorter. However, I won't be able to publish them sooner than in July because of the exam session starting the next week.**

**So much for introduction. Enjoy and see you!**

**VerMa**

* * *

It was May 8, the day of Velma's eighteenth birthday. On this occasion, her aunt baked a birthday cake for her and helped to prepare the party to which Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby were invited.

"Jinkies, I can't remember a time that I got so many beautiful gifts" said Velma, hugging her friends from whom she'd gotten: earrings, necklace and perfume (Daphne), Audrey Wright's latest book with the author's dedication (Fred) and an orange sweater, which was a smaller copy of her mom's somewhat worn one (Shaggy and Scooby). "What are these keys for, Auntie?" she asked, opening the smallest of her birthday presents.

"They'll allow you to enter your old house" Miss Walton explained.

"The one in which I'd lived with my parents before they...?" the girl wasn't able to say the last word.

"Before they died" her aunt finished for her. "The very same."

"And... can I move to it?"

"Well, after all, you're eighteen" said Jane with a sad half-smile. "It will be empty here without you but you're an adult and I can't tell you what to do or not to do anymore. You'll just have to tidy up the entire house before you move into it. No one went inside since your parents' funeral."

Velma looked straight into her green eyes.

"You are the best Auntie in the world" she said softly, embracing her tightly. "Thank you."

x

The next day in the morning, Velma, armed with a broom, some rags, a window cleaner and other things necessary for, well, cleaning, went to her old house. As you can guess, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby showed up as well. With their help, the third day, the only places left to tidy were the living room and the basement.

"You know, Velma, it will be a really stylish living room" Daphne remarked admiringly. "I wonder if it looks like before."

"I guess so" Velma replied. "Auntie Jane said that except for food and my stuff she'd left everything in the house the way it had been when my parents had been still alive."

"It's a good thing she'd thought about covering the furniture" said Fred. "In fifteen years, the covers collected lots of dust."

"Like, what's that?" Shaggy asked curiously, carefully lifting the cover from a large, not very high object.

"A piano!" Daphne exclaimed. "A few years ago, I saw an identical one in a music store in Paris. It cost a fortune. The seller said there were only three such pianos around the world, including one in his store and another in an Arab sheikh's palace but the third one was lost without a trace" she added.

"Seems that Shaggy has just found it" Fred smiled.

"As long as Daphne's right" said Shaggy.

"I'll check it on the Internet" Velma spoke. "But now, let's go back to cleaning."

May 13, Velma packed her belongings into three large suitcases and five boxes and, with the help of her friends and Auntie Jane, she moved into her old house. The next day, about 3 PM., a very concerned Fred came to Daphne's house, even though they weren't to meet until two hours later.

"Fred, my dear, what's going on?" Daphne asked, letting him inside.

"We have to delay our date" he replied, kissing her cheek. "Fifteen minutes ago, Velma called me. She said that someone had stuck to her door a letter with a demand for her to move out immediately and sell the house with the ground, or else something terrible would happen to her. She was trying to speak calmly but I heard horror in her voice anyway. Daph, I have to help her, you understand? No one threatens my foster little sister and gets away with it."

"I understand, Freddy" Daphne nodded. "I'm going with you."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to. I'm not going to let anyone scare my best friend."

Shaggy and Scooby shared the same opinion. Half an hour later, the four of them knocked on the door of Velma who smiled upon seeing them.

"Jinkies, I didn't think Fred would bring you all here" she stated with admiration.

"Ree ronted roo rome, Relma" said Scooby, nudging her hand with his nose, which meant that he was asking for a scratch behind the ear. (_Tr.: We wanted to come, Velma._)

"Like, sure" Shaggy confirmed "because, like, whoever messes with you, messes with us."

"Right" Daphne supported him. "And no one goes away with messing with us."

"Do you have an idea who might want to scare you?" Fred asked.

"No" Velma shook her head. "And, what's worse, when I called the police, I was told that one threatening letter is not a reason to start an investigation yet..."

"Not for us" Fred assured her. "Show us the letter. Maybe we can find some clues on it."

Unfortunately, after five hours, the friends were forced to admit their defeat.

"Like, someone put a lot of effort to, like, make our lives difficult" Shaggy muttered in irritation.

"That's it!" Daphne exclaimed, springing up from her seat.

"What did I say?" Shaggy was amazed.

"_Like, someone put a lot of effort_" Fred quoted. "You've just made us realize, man, that the one who did it, hadn't chosen Velma all that randomly."

"Oh, wonderful, I feel honored by that" Velma remarked sarcastically. "Now, explain to us what can this person want from me. After all, as far as I know, I'm not fabulously rich, and there's no treasure in the ground."

"So maybe they want the house itself?" Daphne suggested. "It's old and very classy, so it certainly is worth a lot."

"Or maybe..." Velma said thoughtfully "maybe they aren't after the house but the land?"

"We'll check it" Fred promised, placing his hand on her shoulder "but first, I suggest to get a little sleep, for example, in the living room. Do you have some spare blankets?"

x

In the morning, Scooby found another anonymous letter, addressed to Velma. This time, the paper was wrapped around a stone, which someone had used to break one of the windows, as was indicated by fragments of glass lying on the floor.

"What does it say, Vel?" Shaggy asked.

"_You IgnoRed The WARNING so now, You Will suffer The ConSequences_" Velma read. "Okay, this is going too far! Not only does someone want to take over my house which I inherited from my parents but they also broke my window! Just let me get them!" she burst out. (_A/N: the letter, which Velma read, is written in a way intended to imitate the letters and fragments of words cut out from newspapers._)

"Velma, calm down" Fred grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently. "We'll catch this villain, that's without doubt, but we can't act so hastily."

"So what do you suggest?" Daphne asked.

"Let's split up. You, Velma and I will search the house, and Shaggy and Scooby can check the garden."

"It suits me" Shaggy spoke. "At least Scooby and I can work in the warm sunshine and..."

Suddenly, the whole room was filled with a strange mist and after a while, all the five of the friends saw ghosts of a dark-haired woman with glasses and a blond-haired man.

"Sell the house, Velma, sell it!" the phantoms howled and disappeared.

"Okay, now we know what's, like, going on in here" Shaggy said, shaking with fear. "Like, the ghosts of Velma's parents want her to, like, get rid of the house. Like, let's close the case and, like, get out of here."

"Reah! Rout rof reer!" Scooby whimpered. (_Tr.: Yeah! Out of here!_)

"No" Velma said, grabbing Shaggy's wrist. "These weren't my parents."

"Are you sure?" Daphne asked.

"Absolutely. In their will, they made me their only heiress. Why would they want me to get rid of my property now?"

"Good question" said Daphne "but what will are you talking about? After all, your parents were young when they died."

"True, but Auntie Jane said my dad liked to be prepared for any circumstance."

"You know, gang, I think we have a mystery to solve" Fred announced. "We must search the house. Shaggy, you and Scooby look up the ground floor and the basement..."

"Zoinks! Like, what? No way, man! We won't go to the basement!" Shaggy protested.

"Ro ray!" Scooby agreed. (_Tr.: No way!_)

"Oh, come on, you cowards" said the annoyed Daphne. "It was only four days ago that you'd gone down there voluntarily and you even had helped us to tidy it up."

"But, like, back then, we hadn't known this house is, like, haunted!" Shaggy yelled, trying to run away.

"Raunted!" Scooby whined.

"Come back here, you chickens" Velma caught Shaggy and Scooby and pulled them to herself. "First, these certainly weren't real ghosts. Second, I'll go with you, if you're so terrified. Fred, I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's okay. Take care of yourselves."

A few hours later, the gang reunited in the living room.

"You see, Shaggy? Velma was right. These were no ghosts" said Fred, showing a small projector. "We found it on the upper floor, next to the stairs. And I can bet we'll find something like this in this room as well."

"It even would make sense" said Velma "because we found this" she added, handing him a small device resembling a cubic die with a trumpet, attached to one of the faces.

"What is it, anyway?" Daphne asked.

"A machine used to make the artificial smoke" Fred replied, having pressed a button.

"You know what, I'm tired of this whole spiritual hassle" said Shaggy. "Anybody has an idea how we can catch this joker of sorrows?"

"I think you meant _these jokers_" Velma corrected him, trying to speak calmly but bubbling over with rage inside. "There must be at least two people involved in this."

"I think I have a plan" said Fred and beckoned to his friends. "Come on here and listen. We will do this..."

x

"You know, Shaggy" Velma spoke, placing two mugs of coffee on the table "I don't care whether the house is haunted or not."

"Like, really?"

"Really. I'll never move out of here, no matter what."

As soon as Velma said these words, the kitchen was filled with the artificial smoke and a second later, the girl and the boy saw two phantoms, male and female.

"This is your last chance, Velma" the spirit of the man said in a gloomy voice.

"Sell the house and run away, or something bad will happen to you" the female ghost added grimly.

"WHO DARES THREATEN OUR DAUGHTER?" another masculine voice boomed suddenly.

"YOU'LL NOT AVOID OUR REVENGE!" a high-pitched feminine voice rang out.

Two other figures appeared in the room; they looked a lot more ghastly than the alleged phantoms who exchanged frightened glances and started to run towards the door, yelling:

"GHOSTS! HELP!"

"They're coming" Daphne whispered to Scooby, who waited at the door with her. "So far, everything is going just like planned."

After a while, the first pair of 'ghosts', chased by the other one (and by Velma and Shaggy), came to the door and stood on the net, lying on the floor. Daphne and Scooby immediately pulled the rope with all their might, which caused the net to lift up into the air, trapping the people responsible for all the trouble.

"We did it! We got them!" Fred exclaimed happily, taking off his mask.

"Yes, Fred, you'd planned it well" Velma's aunt admitted. "It's amazing what you can do with the right clothes, a mask made of white cardboard, the family resemblance and a bit of characterization."

"And now it's time to find out who pretended to be the ghosts of my parents" Velma said, taking the culprits' masks off and revealing the faces of a blond-haired young woman and a graying man.

"Like, who are they?" Shaggy asked.

"This man's name is John Smith. He owns a restaurant on the northern end of Coolsville. This girl works there as a waitress" Miss Walton explained. "A few days ago, Smith tried to persuade me to sell him the lot but I said it was my niece's property."

"So, with the waitress' help, he planned to scare Velma off and buy the land from her dirt cheap" said Fred.

"He probably thought that since she's an orphan, she'd be alone and run away screaming but he was very wrong" Daphne put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"There is still one more question" said Velma. "Why did you do this all?"

"I won't tell you" Smith snapped.

"That's not necessary" Jane said coldly. "I KNOW what you were looking for, Smith. If you got rid of Velma, you'd have gotten Nathalie's jewelry and the unfinished projects of Thomas' inventions. The jewelry would be the payment for your accomplice, and you'd make a fortune on patenting the stolen ideas of my late brother-in-law."

"And no one would have guessed it, if those meddling kids hadn't thwarted my plans!" Smith burst out.

"I think it's time to hand the two of them over to the police" said Daphne. "Shaggy, can you call your dad?"

x

All the five of the friends spent that night on the floor in Velma's living room as well (Auntie Jane had gone home). This time, Velma had a really beautiful dream, which didn't happen to her very often. Namely, she saw herself as a little girl, sitting on the back of her dad who, accompanied by her joyful squeaky cries, paced the carpet on all fours, pretending to be a brave steed...

*** THE DREAM ***

_"And when the princess arrived to the cave on the edge of the forest, she saw a large, brown lioness" said her mom, kneeling down on the carpet and then getting on all fours._

_"And see wasn't afwaid at all!" the little Velma squealed, bouncing up and down on her dad's back. Her favorite part of the tale was closer and closer. __**(Toddler talk translation: And she wasn't afraid at all!)**_

_"You're right, dear" the man said. "She wasn't afraid because her enchanted horse didn't run away like he always had done when they had met other dangerous animals. And the princess knew that the lioness was actually her..."_

_"Mommy!" the girl cried happily._

_"Yes" her mom confirmed. "And then, the princess climbed down of her horse, hugged both him and the lioness, and said..."_

_"I luff you, Mommy, I luff you, Daddy" the little Velma finished, jumping off of her dad's back and hugging both of her parents. __**(Toddler talk translation: I love you, Mommy, I love you, Daddy.)**_

_"Exactly" Thomas sat on the carpet and embraced his wife and their daughter. "And then, the spell was broken, and the king and the queen became humans again."_

_"And then, the princess and her parents returned to their castle and lived happily ever after. The end" Nathalie added, getting up from the floor with the tiny Velma in her arms and sat down at the piano. A moment later, her husband sat down beside her and began playing a gentle melody, which usually was like a lullaby for their only daughter..._

*** THE DREAM ENDS ***

Having woken up, Velma found to her surprise that she still heard the melody from her dream. When she opened her eyes, she saw two bright figures, male and female, playing the piano. The girl got up quietly and carefully snuck up to them. The phantoms looked at her and smiled.

"Mom...? Dad...?" Velma whispered, feeling her heart pounding like mad out of joy.

"Yes, baby" her mother replied, smiling tenderly.

"Do you want to play the piano with me?" her father asked her.

"I'd love to, but I don't know how..."

"Don't worry, honey. I'll help you" her mother told her. "Sit down here and give me your hands."

"I've always thought that a ghost's touch is cold like ice" the amazed Velma remarked. "How can it be that you're warm, Mom?"

"It's easy. You are my child and you feel my love. Now, attention... Tom, my dear, let's start."

x

A gentle melody, mixed with awkward strumming and someone's chuckle, reached Shaggy's ears. Having lifted his eyelids, the boy saw that Fred, Daphne and Scooby had crept out from under the blankets and were watching Velma, sitting at the piano and trying to play the melody in the four-hand way with a transparent man. Right behind her stood a ghostly woman who led her hands and laughed quietly every time Velma pressed the wrong key.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy cried, crawled up to Scooby and embraced his neck. "Th-the gh-gh-gh-ghosts!"

"Rhosts!" the terrified dog whimpered.

Daphne and Fred instinctively clung to each other.

"Guys, don't be afraid" Velma said, getting up from at the instrument. "My parents won't hurt you."

"Your parents?" Daphne repeated.

"Yes. Let us introduce ourselves. My name is Thomas, and this is my wife, Nathalie" said Mr. Dinkley's spirit. "We didn't want to scare you but thank you for stopping this greedy man from robbing Velma."

"And for taking care of her for so many years" Mrs. Dinkley's ghost added.

"But I often let her down because I was the whole school's pushover" Fred looked down.

"And I bullied her at the beginning" Daphne went red.

"And Scooby and I are, like, cowards" Shaggy confessed.

"It doesn't matter" Mr. Dinkley told them. "You all have risked something for her without expecting anything in return. And, what's more, Fred and Daphne are for her like siblings whom she never had."

"Like, wait, what about me?" Shaggy asked.

Both phantoms looked at him with a smile.

"The answer you are looking for, in your heart is placed. Listen well to its tone and this riddle will make sense" they said.

"It's time for us to go, my love" Thomas looked at his wife and she nodded.

"Wait! Don't go!" Velma cried out.

"We can't stay, darling" her mother explained. "We are no longer of this world."

"Then take me with you... I don't want to be alone in here..."

"But you're not alone, baby" her father replied. "You have your Auntie Jane and your friends. Besides, we're watching over you all the time."

"Really?"

"Really. We always had and always will" Nathalie smiled gently. "But now, kids, it's time to go to sleep" she added, making a small gesture with her hand. The five of the friends found themselves at their previous places, wrapped up with blankets. The ghosts kissed their foreheads, took each other's hand and disappeared.

x

Scooby and the gang woke up about 10 AM.

"Oh, jeepers, I had such a strange dream" Daphne yawned.

"I don't think it was stranger than mine" Fred stretched out so much that a few of his bones made cracking sounds.

"Like, but mine was totally crazy" Shaggy rubbed his eyes and scratched the back of his head.

"Mine, too" Velma murmured sleepily "but it was so beautiful..."

"Rot rere rou reaming rabout, Relma?" Scooby asked curiously. (_Tr.: What were you dreaming about, Velma?_)

"My parents... they were talking with me and teaching me how to play the piano, and they said they'd always be watching over me..."

"Wait a minute" Daphne became completely awake suddenly "I had the same dream."

"Me, too" said Fred and Shaggy simultaneously.

Velma jumped to her feet and ran to the piano.

"There are some notes in here" she said. "I wonder if it's the same melody."

"We'll check it" Shaggy leaned over the keyboard and played a few bars.

"Relma ras raying ris rith rer rad ris right" Scooby remarked. (_Tr.: Velma was playing this with her dad this night._)

"So it wasn't a dream" Fred said quietly.

"Hey, there's also something else" Velma reached for the two pieces of paper, one thicker and one thinner, which lay on the piano. "Oh... jinkies..." she whispered.

"Are you okay, Velma? What's that?" Daphne asked while she, Fred, Shaggy and Scooby were trying to look over their friend's shoulder.

Velma without saying a word handed her a photo of a little, at most a-couple-of-months-old, dark-haired girl sitting on the lap of a blond-haired young man, while a dark-haired young woman was leaning towards her, holding a teddy bear, which the baby was trying to grab; judging by their faces, both of the adults must have been very amused with this.

"There's also a letter" Velma said after a while in a cracking voice.

"Can you read it for us?" Shaggy asked.

"No... I am not able to... You do it..."

Shaggy cautiously took the paper in his hand and started reading:

_**"Vellie, our little sweetheart,**_

_**We're aware that you probably aren't sure yourself whether what happened this night was a strange dream or even stranger reality. **__That's why we decided to give you one of a few photos in which there are all the three of us. We thought you'd like it._

_**The melody, which you'd tried to play, was "Der Liebestraum" by Franz Liszt. We'd noticed that you have a great potential but, of course, you lack the proper education and practice. But don't let that discourage you – of course, on condition that you want to learn playing.**_

_Do you remember how many times Fred came to help you as soon as Kate and her friends had begun laughing at you? And how Daphne stood by your side one day, even though at the beginning, she'd bullied you as well? And how Shaggy and Scooby saved you from dying from the hands of a serial killer? These were no coincidences but our care for you. Remember that it will never change because we love you very much._

_Love,_

_Mom __**and **__**Dad."**_

"Oh, this is so cute" said Daphne and blew her nose.

x

Right after breakfast, Velma literally ran to the house of her aunt.

"Auntie... Auntie, do you know this photo?" she panted as soon as the door was opened.

"Yes, I do" Miss Walton replied, leading her niece to the living room and seating her on a couch. "It was taken by your mom's and my younger brother when you were six-months-old."

"You mean Uncle Dave, don't you?"

"Yes. Not long after that, he was sent to guard the Canadian border. He came every two months, as long as your mom was alive. After her funeral, he never appeared in Coolsville again. Where have you gotten this photo from, anyway?"

"I found it this morning on the piano, along with this" the girl handed her aunt the short letter from her parents.

"It's incredible" the woman said quietly. Then, she went to a chest of drawers, rummaged in the top drawer for a while and took out an old postcard. "Look. Your parents sent me this card when they were on their honeymoon. Compare it to this letter."

"They are written in the same two handwritings..." Velma commented. "It means, Auntie, that this wasn't a lousy joke of my friends! Mom and Dad really had come to me...!" she cried in delight, hugged her aunt and ran outside.

Jane couldn't help but laugh. After a moment, she remembered she had to write an important letter, so she went to a small room, which Velma had called 'the office' and sat down at her desk. The words then flowed down on the paper by themselves...

"_Dear Davey,_

_Thank you for your last letter. It brought me much joy but it wasn't the same as having you here. However, I understand all too well why you don't want to come or invite us to your place. I know you and Nattie liked each other very much – and Velma is almost a copy of her, except for the eyes and freckles, which she'd gotten after Tom. And believe me that it often hurts my heart, too, when I see her._

_Despite this, you don't even know how much you lose by spending all your time guarding the border. Do you remember Velma's new friends whom I once had written you about? Thanks to them, she's become brave, confident and more ingenious, plus, she now laughs much more often than before. The latter is mainly thanks to Shaggy. It seems to me that Velma is very close to him – even closer than to Fred who takes care of her like an older brother would do – and, although she keeps denying it, I think she has some feelings for Shaggy as well. I guess it will be revealed soon. And in the meantime, maybe you could take a chance and invite her to your place? I'm sure she won't refuse. After all, the last time you two saw each other was when she was seven._

_Just like you asked, I'm sending you another picture of Velma – with her friends because now, it's impossible to find one in which she would be alone. Speaking of photos – do you remember the one you took when she was six-months-old? That day, she had sat on Tom's lap and reached out for the teddy bear which Nattie had been holding. Now, imagine that Velma has found it today on the piano in her old house. If it had been lying there for the last fifteen years, it should be dirty and worn – and yet, it looks like it was new. Later, Velma called me and said that earlier that night, she and her friends had seen her parents and even had talked with them. I probably wouldn't have believed her if she hadn't showed me a note which she'd found along with the photo. It was signed by Nattie and Tom. I knew it wasn't a fake, because I recognized their handwritings, and besides, I compared it with the postcard they'd sent me from their honeymoon. I don't know what to think about this. True, I have evidence, namely the note and words of Velma who has never lied to me in her life, but on the other hand, this whole story is so unlikely that I simply am not able to believe it._

_I have to end the letter now, Davey. Take care and come to Coolsville this summer – and if you don't, then at least call me. I miss the sound of your voice._

_Love,_

_Your elder sister,_

_Jane."_

* * *

**And...? Did you like it? Can you let me know in reviews?**

_**Ciao!**_

**VerMa**

**PS - If you're wondering what's the 'riddle' mentioned in the title, try to recall (or simply check) what the ghosts of Velma's parents told Shaggy when he asked them who he is for Velma. I promise he'll figure it out in the next chapter.**

**VM**


	5. The mystery of love

**Hello,**

**I'd like to present to you the penultimate chapter of this story. Originally, it was supposed to be a part of the previous one but I figured out it would have been far too long this way (about 13-14 pages in Word).**

**Forgive me that this time I'm not trying to make more or less brilliant jokes but the last four weeks weren't the best time for me. To not go into details, I will only say that in September, I'll have to take four of my exams for the second time.**

**In the meantime - enjoy.**

**VerMa**

* * *

Dark chocolate. For Shaggy, this was the only term that seemed to accurately describe the color of Velma's eyes which everyone else (including Velma herself), called dark brown. He didn't know himself why Velma's eye color suddenly became one of the most important things in the world for him until he remembered Fred's words from three years ago:

_"You know, buddy, I think I've fallen in love. I think about Daphne and her marvelous blue eyes all the time. No, they are not SIMPLY blue... They are as blue as forget-me-nots."_

Therefore, _per analogiam_, it could be assumed that Shaggy had fallen in love with Velma. But, in his situation, did he, a young man of twenty one years, have a right to use the words which his friend had said, being only seventeen? On the other hand, back then, Fred hadn't made a mistake – heck, he and Daphne had been happily engaged for a month now – so maybe there was a chance that Shaggy was right in his own case?

Suddenly he remembered the rhymed riddle of the ghosts of Velma's parents, which he'd been trying to solve for almost a year. He had to listen to his heart carefully because reportedly, it knew the answer he wanted to find. So it was as usual – easier said than done. But hey, wait a second – after all, his heart did begin beating like mad whenever he saw Velma... But were those facts related? He didn't know. The only thing he was sure of was that Velma had some mysterious charm in her, even though she usually wasn't seen as a so-called classical beauty. Simply put, when he and his friends had been solving the case of mysterious accidents of some fashion house's models (Shaggy had long since forgotten the company's name), only Daphne got a permission to be a bait model, since Velma, according to the designer who worked there, was too short, not slim enough, too freckled, and in general she resembled a child too much. Thinking about it, Shaggy came to the conclusion that the guy wasn't totally right. Perhaps Velma could never become a model (and she wasn't the only one) but she attracted him a lot more than any girl with a super thin waist. And it was her with whom he wanted spend the rest of his life. The rest of her life. The rest of THEIR lives...

"Earth to Shaggy!" Fred waved his hand before his friend's eyes.

"What's going on?" Shaggy woke up.

"Velma isn't coming back for a long time" the visibly worried Daphne replied. "This ghost could have gotten her."

"Daphne, it's only a guy in a suit" Shaggy remarked.

"And this comes from the one who always yells the loudest and runs away the fastest" Fred tried to stifle a chuckle.

"The word _ghost_ is shorter than the term _a crazy man or woman in a costume of a ghost_" the offended Daphne snorted.

"Reddy" Scooby pulled Fred's sleeve "rot rabout Relma?" (_Tr.: Freddy, what about Velma?_)

"You're right, Scooby, we've gotten carried away from the subject. Let's split up. Daphne and I will check this old mansion, and you, guys, search the park. Just be careful not to fall into the river. As far as I know, it's rather deep."

x

"Scooby" Shaggy spoke, peering into the bushes where, as it turned out, there was nothing "like, tell me honestly: what do you think about Velma?"

"Ree's rool" said the dog. "Ree rays rith ree, ratches ree rehind ry ear rand always ras Rooby-racks ror ree." (_Tr.: She's cool. She plays with me, scratches me behind my ear and always has Scooby-snacks for me._)

"Like, you mean you like her?" the boy made sure.

"Res. Ra rot. Ry roo rou rask?" (_Tr.: Yes. A lot. Why do you ask?_)

"Like, I was wondering... Do you want her to, like, be your mistress?"

"Rot? Rou ron't ront ree ranyrore?" the look on Scooby's face indicated that Shaggy had accidentally hurt his feelings. (_Tr.: What? You don't want me anymore?_)

"Like, of course I want you, Scooby Doo" he replied, stroking his pet's head. "Like, I meant that, like, I finally solved the riddle of Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley's ghosts. I love Velma and, like, if she feels the same, I want to, like, ask her to marry me. What do you say?"

"Roo rit! Roo rit!" Scooby stood on his back paws and licked Shaggy's cheek, while wagging his tail as fast as he could. (_Tr.: Do it! Do it!_)

"All right, Scooby, get off of me" Shaggy laughed. "First, we need to find Velma, remember?"

x

Meanwhile, Fred and Daphne, holding hands, were climbing up the dark, creaking stairs in the old house, being careful to not step on some rotten plank because a fall could cost them dearly. When they reached the second floor, they heard a smack as if someone had slapped someone else and the patter of two running feet. Moments later, the breathless Velma bumped into them.

"Run!" she gasped. "He knows... that I know... who he is! If he catches up with us... he'll kill us all!"

The three of them immediately fled. But when they were on the first floor, the villain caught up with them.

"Let's split up and run!" Fred shouted and turned to the left.

Daphne ran straight, while Velma turned to the right. Unfortunately, she found out she'd run onto a small balcony hanging above the river of which Fred had spoken earlier. Even worse, when she turned around, she found herself face to face with the thug in the ghost suit.

"S-stay away..." she whispered, taking a few steps back.

"You know too much, girl" he hissed, getting close to her in one leap, covering her mouth and picking her up with one hand. "I should have eliminated you immediately. Well, now, I'll fix this mistake..."

"Let go of her right away!" Daphne commanded, running onto the balcony along with Fred.

'The ghost' laughed evilly.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked, moving aside to expose Velma, hanging over the river which flew below the cliff on which the building stood.

"Now, Daph!" Fred exclaimed.

They both threw themselves on the 'ghost', trying to stop him from dropping Velma but at some point, he managed to break free for a moment long enough to throw his victim down from a height of several meters.

"Velma!" Daphne shrieked.

A second later, there was a splash. Velma had fallen into the water. And she panicked. Don't misunderstand me – maybe she couldn't start in a swimming competition but certainly would have dealt the situation pretty well if it hadn't been for an unlucky coincidence. She'd gotten thrown into the river, in a place where the water was the deepest and the current was the most rapid. The result was that she'd fallen on her back and quickly sunk, and since she hadn't had time to hold her breath, the water had flooded her lungs. She was sure she wouldn't be able to get out of this but suddenly, someone pulled her up to the surface...

x

Having heard a splash, Shaggy ran up to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Having seen Velma's left hand, sinking down, he didn't hesitate a moment.

"I'll save you, Vel!" he called out, then he jumped into the water, dived, took a strong hold around the girl's waist and swam up to the surface with her. "It's okay, you're safe" he assured her, trying to outshout her coughing and the sound of running water.

"A whirl!" Velma screamed, choking on the water.

"What?" Shaggy asked.

"A whirl!" Velma repeated, pointing toward the water funnel, towards which the current pushed them. "We'll die!"

"Maybe not" Shaggy replied. "We do have one chance. We must let this whirl pull us down."

"Are you crazy?"

"No. We'll push ourselves up from the bottom and swim to the riverbank..." Shaggy looked into Velma's eyes. "Do you trust me?" he made sure.

"Yes."

"Then take a deep breath because we're going to dive."

x

When the alleged ghost threw Velma into the river, Fred howled desperately, jumped on him and knocked him out. Then, he leaned slightly over the railing and looked down. Upon seeing Shaggy jumping into the water, diving and quickly pulling Velma to the surface, he breathed with relief. His joy didn't last long, however. Soon, he noticed the strong current taking his friends towards the whirl which quickly sucked both of them in. After a moment, there was a mournful whimper of Scooby, who had stayed on the riverbank.

"No..." Fred whispered, horrified. "No, it can't be..."

"Freddy" Daphne spoke "I called Shaggy's dad. He and his people should be here in about five minutes. He told me to take this wretch to the Mystery Ma... Freddy?"

"I'll kill him!" Fred burst out, trying to leap on the stunned thug.

"Stop it!" Daphne grabbed his arms. "What are you doing? Leave him alone!"

"No! You don't understand! Velma and Shaggy have just been drawn by a whirl and now, they probably are dying in pain at the bottom of the river!"

Daphne's blue eyes filled up with tears.

"Run downstairs quickly, take Scooby and try to get them out of there somehow" she said quietly. "I'll do what Mr. Rogers told me."

"Are you sure you can do it?"

Daphne nodded.

"Good luck, Freddy" she whispered.

x

"Rook, Red, ri round Relma's rasses" Scooby gave the boy black plastic frames with broken lenses. (_Tr.: Look, Fred, I found Velma's glasses._)

Fred sat down on a nearby rock and pressed the glasses to his chest, trying not to start crying like a baby. He and Scooby had been walking along the river for a quarter, trying to find their friends. Unfortunately, so far, Velma's glasses were the only trace they'd gotten. Meanwhile, Daphne handed the thug they'd caught to the police and was just finishing explaining the whole case but Fred couldn't care less.

"Let's face it, Scooby" he said in a cracking voice. "Velma and Shaggy are probably dead by now. And it's my fault."

"Ry?" the dog whimpered, nudging his hand with his nose. (_Tr.: Why?_)

"I'd been supposed to be responsible for Velma" now, Fred was swallowing his tears. "I'd been supposed to keep her out of the harm's way. Auntie Jane had trusted me. And I failed. This psycho had thrown Velma into the river and Shaggy had jumped after her... and it seems that they both drowned. Auntie Jane and Mr. and Mrs. Rogers will never forgive me..."

"Freddy" Daphne came up to her fiancé and put her hand on his shoulder "darling, I... I've heard what you said. You can't blame yourself for what had happened. After all, we HAD tried to stop the villain... and Shaggy had behaved like a hero..."

"Say whatever you want, my dear, but it will haunt me for the rest of my life" Fred shook his head. "You know, I've just remembered my first meeting with Velma. It had been such a normal, September day..."

*** Flashback ***

_"Nice drawing" a seven-year-old Fred remarked, looking at a rather clumsily drawn image of a smiling, dark-haired woman with glasses. "Who's that?"_

_ A small, skinny, dark-haired, bespectacled girl, the authoress of the picture, jumped up with fright. After a while, she raised two large, dark brown eyes from above the paper and looked straight into the boy's dark blue eyes._

_"My Auntie Jane" she said quietly._

_"What's your name?" Fred asked curiously._

_"Velma" the girl replied. "And yours?"_

_"Fred. Can I sit with you?"_

_ Velma nodded without a word. Fred put his lunchbox on the table, unwrapped one of the sandwiches and was about to start eating when he heard a quiet rumble. It was true that in the school, he wasn't thought of as a genius but he realized immediately that the sound came from the girl's empty belly. Besides, she was gazing at the roll he held in his hand._

_"Are you hungry?" Fred asked._

_ Velma nodded again._

_"You don't have your own food?"_

_ This time the girl's answer was a blush and shaking her head for "no"._

_"Then take my sandwich" Fred gave her the box where the second of his sandwiches lay._

_"Thank you" Velma said quietly. Two minutes later, there was no trace after a roll with ham, egg, lettuce and tomato._

_"Why your mom and dad didn't give you a lunch?" Fred asked after he'd swallowed the last bit of his sandwich._

_"My mom and dad had gone to heaven. And Auntie Jane has little money now because she bought me books and notebooks, and a backpack, and crayons, and..."_

_"I have an apple and candies, too" Fred remembered suddenly. "Take them."_

_"Won't you be hungry?"_

_"No. What grade are you in?"_

_"The first. And you?"_

_"The second. If you want it, I'll show you the whole school one day."_

_"You're almost as nice as Auntie Jane, you know?" Velma smiled. Fred smiled back at her without a word. At that point, they didn't know yet that this meeting would result in a lifelong friendship..._

*** The flashback ends ***

"I also remember the first time she called me Freddy..." Fred whispered, feeling he was about to cry. "Back then, I'd promised her that I'd always take care of her like a big brother and a guardian angel... and when she needed my help the most, I screwed up..."

Inspector Samuel Rogers, whose people had just put the unmasked criminal in the patrol car and driven off, went up to Fred, Daphne and Scooby.

"And what?" he asked.

Fred shook his head again.

"No trace of them" he said quietly. "I'm afraid they're gone forever."

Inspector Rogers bit his lower lip and winced slightly, trying to restrain his tears. Suddenly, they heard a voice:

"Go slow, it's not smooth in here..."

The four of them turned their heads and saw Shaggy, holding Velma around her waist and leading her between the sharp rocks, with which she could get hurt. They both were dripping with water and looked as tired as if they'd just swam one hundred lengths of the Olympic pool.

"Raggy! Relma!" Scooby exclaimed, running up to the boy and the girl and fawning upon their legs.

"Guys! You're alive!" Fred and Daphne tightly embraced their friends.

"I-it's a-all th-thanks to Sh-Sha-Shaggy" Velma declared, snuggling up to her rescuer and shivering. "If h-he h-ha-hadn't k-kept the cold b-bl-blood, we would p-prob-bably b-both h-have d-dr-drow-drowned."

"You did well, Norville" Mr. Rogers hugged his son and slightly ruffled his wet hair. "I'm proud of you."

"L-like... th-tha-thanks, Dad" the boy replied with his teeth chattering.

"You know, Inspector, I love chatting" said Daphne "but we need to take Shaggy and Velma in a warm and dry place as soon as possible or they'll catch a cold."

x

Despite the fact that Fred was driving as fast as he could, and Daphne, Scooby and Mr. Rogers wrapped Shaggy and Velma in multiple blankets, the latter duo did get a cold after a forced swimming in the river anyway. Fred, who still felt guilty for this, visited both of them every day and served them the best he could. The result was that within one week, he unintentionally broke two of Shaggy's plates and accidentally flooded half of Velma's kitchen while trying to fix a leaking faucet. One day, Velma couldn't stand it anymore.

"Freddy, sit down here" she said, pointing to a chair, standing beside the bed. "We need to talk."

"About what?" Fred asked, obeying the command.

"For several days, you've been behaving strangely."

"You were saying?" Fred laughed with simulated carelessness.

"Freddy, I know that you care about me and believe me, I really appreciate that you come here every day to look after me but you've been freaking out lately" Velma sat up, looked straight into his eyes and took his hand. "What's bothering you?"

"Y-you know, s-seems you have a fever again" Fred mumbled, trying to sneak out towards the kitchen.

"Fred" Velma said in a warning tone "come back here right now and answer my question."

"Y-yes, you do have a f-fever... Y-you're flushed and s-stuff..." Fred stammered, avoiding her eyes. "I... I'll make you t-tea with honey or something..."

"Frederick Jones!" Velma raised her voice, then winced slightly and grabbed her throat. "I asked you a question and I demand an answer. What's eating you?"

Fred looked at the tips of his shoes.

"It's all my fault" he muttered.

"What, for Einstein's sake, are you talking about?"

"I was supposed to be your big brother... kind of like a guardian angel..." Fred whispered. "I was supposed to not let anything bad happen to you... First, I'd promised it to you, and then to your aunt, you remember...? And what? I failed! I screwed up totally! If you and Shaggy had really drowned, I would have never forgiven myself!" he burst out suddenly and began to cry.

"Oh, Freddy..." Velma got up and hugged him. "You couldn't prevent it. It was just an accident."

"You mean" Fred looked up "you mean you forgave me?"

Velma giggled.

"You big goof, I wasn't even angry at you" she said and messed her friend's hair. "Now listen. You'll always be my dearest big brother and my best friend in the world but you can't constantly try to protect me anymore. Not that you do it badly" she added before Fred could say anything "because you're a great guardian. Now that we're grown up, you should take more care of your fiancée than of your foster sister."

"But... but who will take care of you?" Fred asked softly.

"You really don't know it?" Velma laughed. "My new guardian angel has already saved my life twice."

This time, it was Fred who ruffled Velma's fringe.

"Just do not make him to do it for the third time" he warned her jokingly. "And now, go to bed or you really will get a fever."

x

Another week passed and Shaggy came to Velma's house with a bouquet of red roses.

"For you" he said softly, handing her the flowers.

"Thank you. They're beautiful" the girl smiled shyly and moved aside. "Please come in."

"How do you manage to keep this house so tidy all the time?" the amazed Shaggy looked around the almost sterilely clean hall.

"Usually, I simply do little daily cleanings" Velma giggled "but this time, I wouldn't have triumphed over the two-weeks-old chaos without Fred and Daphne's help. You know" she added, getting serious all of a sudden "for the last few days, I've been wondering why you had jumped down to rescue me. I know you are afraid of heights."

"Like, usually, I am" Shaggy admitted "but, like, back then, I was a lot more afraid I would, like, lose you."

"And what does this mean?" Velma slightly raised her eyebrows.

"Like, I solved your parents' riddle. I listened to my heart and, like, I realized I love you" Shaggy replied, blushing up to his ears.

Velma stood on her toes and kissed him.

"I thought you'd never tell me this" she whispered with a smile. "I love you, too."

Shaggy reached into his trousers' pocket and took out a gold ring with a ruby surrounded by small diamonds.

"W-will you marry me?" he asked quietly.

Velma nodded and they both embraced each other, laughing and crying at the same time.

* * *

**PS - It's possible that you'll have to wait for the last chapter until September or October because in my current situation, I'll be able to write it only during breaks from learning. Let me know how you liked this chapter and see you.**

**VM**


	6. Epilogue

**Hi,**

**I present to you the last chapter of the story. This time, I am unable to come up with anything that doesn't reveal a part of the plot so...**

**Enjoy!**

**VerMa.**

* * *

Less than a year after Fred and Daphne as well as Shaggy and Velma had gotten engaged, Saturday, June 25, all the servants in the Blakes' mansion had a very busy morning. That was because in the afternoon, a wedding reception for Miss Daphne and her fiancé, Master Fred, as well as for their two close friends, Miss Velma and Master Shaggy, was to be held. It was obvious for everybody that they should do their best so that both of the newlywed couples referred to this day as the most beautiful one in their lives.

Meanwhile, in one of the rooms on the upper floor, Daphne, with the help of her mother and Mrs. Jones, was getting prepared for the great moment. In contrary to her, Velma couldn't sit still, no matter what methods her aunt and Mrs. Rogers used.

"He still isn't here" Velma said upset, looking out through the window for the nth time. "What if he doesn't come?"

"He will come" Jane ensured her niece, pulling her away from the window and seating her in a chair. "He did promise it to you, didn't he?"

"What if he changed his mind?"

"Listen, dear" Jane looked straight into Velma's eyes "I know Dave very well and I'm sure that if he'd promised you he would come, he won't break his word. He wouldn't miss the wedding of his only niece."

"Your aunt is right, sugar" said Mrs. Rogers. "Now don't move because we still have to apply your make-up."

x

"He's not here! He didn't come!" Velma, who stood in front of the church, was almost crying with rage. "How could he have done this to me?!"

"Now, now, kid, don't cry or your make-up gets smeared" Mrs. Jones embraced her shoulders. "Maybe it's not his fault."

"But he'd promised he would escort me down the aisle!"

"If you want it, I can replace him" Mr. Jones offered.

"Thanks, Uncle Skip, but no" Velma shook her head. "In this case, I prefer to go alone..."

"Are you sure?" Miss Walton asked, gently turning her niece's head.

"UNCLE DAVE!" Velma screamed happily, running up to a tall, dark-haired man with moustache and embracing his waist. "I already thought you'd not come, Uncle!"

"And I already thought that I wouldn't get here on time" the man laughed. "I've been out of Coolsville for so long that I simply got lost. Now come. Your fiancé is waiting" he added, offering her his arm.

x

Three hours later, during the reception, Jane and Dave went out to the porch to be able to talk without being disturbed.

"You know, sis, there's only one thing I don't understand" said Dave. "You'd always been famous for your beauty, so how come that you didn't get married?"

"Let's call it a bad luck. My so-called fiancé simply broke the engagement and went away when I told him we had to delay the wedding because of the mourning" Jane shrugged slightly. "I didn't despair after him for a very long time because Velma took all my attention. When she was eight, I decided it was time to find her a good uncle at last. And I had the bad luck again. One of my suitors didn't want to believe that Velma isn't my daughter and Velma scared off five other."

"Scared off?" Dave laughed. "I find it hard to imagine. How did she do it do and why?"

"She didn't like any of them so she pretended to be an annoying, spoiled child and they ran away as fast as they could. Sometimes, I was angry at her for this but I must admit that she was a great actress" Jane said with a slight smile. "Well, and then beauty was gone, and I am now an old maid" she sighed.

"Cheer up" her brother put his arm around her shoulders. "The fact that you didn't get married doesn't mean you've wasted your life. If anyone should regret anything, it's me who was mostly absent for the last seventeen years..."

"Auntie! Uncle! There you are! We were looking for you everywhere!" came Velma's voice suddenly; their niece had just come to the porch, holding hands with Shaggy. "Come dance with me, Uncle Dave!" she added, grabbing the man's hand and pulling him inside.

"Well..." Shaggy spoke after a while and held out his hand towards Jane "since my wife has left me temporarily, will you dance with me, madam?"

"Oh, Shaggy, why the fuss? Just call me Auntie, alright?" the woman laughed, giving him her hand.

x

A little later, Jane pulled her niece aside.

"I have something more for you, Velma" she said, handing her a savings book.

"But, Auntie, I can't take it" Velma protested. "Over all those years, you've spent a whole lot of money on me..."

"Darling, this money has belonged to you from your birth day when your dad had deposited it in the bank for you" Miss Walton laughed. "I haven't told you about it because your parents had planned to keep it a secret until the day of your wedding. They'd wanted you to have a normal childhood."

"And, like, that's just fine" Shaggy went up to his wife and her aunt, holding a plate with some cake "because otherwise, you'd have been bratty and whimsical like Daphne..."

"I heard it!" Daphne, who was just walking past them, grabbed a bit of cake from Shaggy's plate and smeared it on her friend's cheek. At that very moment, Fred's mom took a picture...

xxxxx

Velma closed the album and smiled at her memories. In the nine years that passed since that day, a lot of things changed. First, Fred and Daphne had twins, Lily and Bobby, who were celebrating their seventh birthday today. Then Tommy Rogers, now six-years-old, came to the world and immediately became Auntie Jane's pride and joy. Three years later, Scooby quietly ended his long dog-life and – of what his friends were convinced – went to the dogs' paradise. However, because Tommy and the Jones twins were heartbroken after losing Scooby, Velma and Shaggy decided to take in their friend's nephew, Scrappy – a fun-loving, very energetic and vigorous young dog who quickly became little Tommy's best pal...

"Velma, Shaggy has problems" Scrappy spoke suddenly, nudging the hand of his mistress with his nose.

Velma, who had almost managed to fall asleep, opened her eyes.

"Again?" she groaned, carefully rising from her armchair. "I thought that dressing a six-years-old boy in previously prepared clothes wouldn't be too hard for him" she murmured in irritation, going to the upper floor.

In her son's room, she found chaos. Tommy, a freckled little boy with green eyes and light brown hair, was running away from his father who tried to dress him in a sky-blue shirt.

"I want the shirt with the racer car" the boy said firmly.

"Forget it, Thomas Samuel Rogers" said Velma, catching him and dressing him in the shirt, taken from Shaggy, as well as in a sapphire blue bow-tie and dark gray trousers. "We're going to Aunt Daphne and Uncle Fred's house for Lily and Bobby's birthday party. You have to be well-dressed."

"Mom is right, Tommy" Shaggy panted. "And, like, thanks, Velmsie."

"But why can't I dress the shirt with the racer car?" Tommy pouted.

"First, you should say _wear_, and second, this shirt is all dirty after you and Scrappy were rolling in the mud yesterday, you little urchin" Shaggy replied and slightly ruffled his son's fringe.

"I wonder who gave them an example" Velma muttered, smoothing the boy's hair and glancing at her husband with disapproval. "There are times when I feel as if I was going to have the _third_ child, not the second one."

"You're exaggerating" Shaggy put his hand on her stomach and kissed her. "Sure, I could, like, give up on all those crazy ideas. But, like, what's the point since I have a little son, and you're going to give birth to my baby daughter in a month? But don't worry, I'll get serious in a couple of years."

x

About half an hour later, Bobby Jones ran into the living room, where his parents sat, shouting joyfully:

"They came!"

Indeed – a moment later, from behind the door, came Shaggy's laughter and Velma's angry voice:

"Norville, put me down right now or you'll be sleeping on the couch for a year!"

"Ah, we have guests!" Fred opened the door with a flourish and put near it a stool on which Shaggy placed Velma. "Welcome, welcome" he added, taking off Velma's jacket.

"I guess you two are completely crazy now" the annoyed Velma muttered, then stood up, took her jacket from him and hung it on a hanger. "How many times do I have to tell you that pregnancy is not a disability?"

"You know how they are" Daphne laughed, embracing her friend's shoulders and leading her into the living room "so caring that you can actually get fed up with it."

"You know, Velma, motherhood serves you well" Fred said suddenly. "You look very pretty..."

"Fred, stop it" Velma looked at him sternly. "You know as well as I do that I'm not pretty."

"Like, you're absolutely right, dear" Shaggy agreed with her, letting the Jones twins climb on his back.

"What did I tell you?" Velma sighed. "Even my own husband thinks I'm ugly."

"Funny. I haven't heard him using this word" Daphne pulled her daughter down from Shaggy's back, straightened her dress and disappeared in the kitchen.

"Because I haven't used it. That's not what I meant" said Shaggy. "I meant, Velmsie, that you're not pretty but beautiful."

"Lily! Bobby!" Daphne returned to the room with a big chocolate cake in which seven lit candles were stuck. "Look what I got for you!"

"Cool!" the twins cried out happily.

Soon, the candles were blown and the cake cut and eaten.

"Daphne, you've outdone yourself this year" Velma said with admiration. "You must give me the recipe."

"It was you who gave it to me" Daphne giggled.

"In that case, I guess you're better at baking than I am" Velma smiled and yawned slightly. "Sorry... I'm exhausted..." she mumbled, leaned against her husband's arm and fell asleep.

"She couldn't sleep at night again?" Fred guessed.

Shaggy nodded.

"You know, guys, I think we should go" he said softly, taking Velma in his arms.

"You came only half an hour ago" Daphne remarked. "The kids will be disappointed that they didn't get to play."

"Then what do you suggest?" Shaggy looked at her curiously.

"Why don't you stay for the night? Fred and I will prepare the guest room."

"Thanks, Daph."

x

A month passed and Tommy's tiny sister, Nattie, came to the world; Shaggy and Velma brought her home two days later. That night, about half past midnight, Velma was woken up by her daughter's cry. Guided by instinct, she got up and fed the baby but when she put her back to the crib, the girl started crying again. Velma had no choice. She had to take her to her bed where slept Shaggy, unaware of anything. Fifteen minutes later, when everyone in the house was already asleep, two bright figures, a man and a woman, appeared in the room, made small crosses on the baby's forehead and stroked her cheeks.

"You'll have a kind heart and a joyful, contagious laughter, like your dad" the woman whispered.

"And you'll be beautiful and smart, like your mom" the man added softly, after which he put his arm around the woman's waist and they both disappeared.

You can believe me or not but their words did come true...

* * *

**PS – As for the exams which I'd mentioned earlier, I failed. Thus, I'm changing the school and from October 1, I'm starting all over again – with a new course of study.**

**Oh, and I sure will be very glad if any of you decide to leave a review!**

**See you soon (I hope),**

**VM.**


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